Abu Dhabi: Eat & Drink

1. Observation Deck at Etihad Towers: Although it has a perfectly average international menu of sandwiches (one of which includes Branston pickle, of all things) and desserts, this 74th floor cafe is the best possible vantage point for a view of everything going on in Abu Dhabi.Address: Etihad Tower 1, West Corniche RoadContact: +971-2-8115666

2. Chamas: It’s a meat feast at the InterContinental’s Brazilian churrascaria restaurant, and you’d be advised to go light on the salad bar and bread if you’re to try the meltingly tender steak, lamb, and chicken from each of the skewers carried by knife-wielding waiters. Wash down with punchy caipirinhas.Address: Bainouna Street Contact: +971-2-6666888

3. Bentley Bistro & Bar: The up-market Galleria mall has a multitude of high-profile restaurants and bars, but one that is quietly brilliant is Bentley. Bypass the OTT fake-bistro interior and take a seat on the terrace for shockingly good food (the Lentil and Burrata salad is delectable) and confident, friendly, knowledgeable waiters—a rarity in Abu Dhabi.Address: The Galleria, Al Maryah IslandContact: +971-2-6262131

5. Almaz by Momo: A longstanding favourite in Dubai, Almaz has now opened in Abu Dhabi’s Galleria offering a delicious, modern take on North African food courtesy of London-based Algerian restaurateur Mourad Mazouz. The setting is contemporary Moroccan, and the carefully chosen soundtrack mixes Maghrebi music with chill-out beats.Address: The Galleria, Al Maryah Island Contact: +971-2-6767702

6. Le Beaujolais: An Abu Dhabi fixture, the now-authentically-dated decor of this French bistro would, anywhere else, be off-putting. Here it’s just an indicator of the sort of hearty, rustic, and similarly authentic food. Affordable, with genuinely excellent classics such as Escargot, Cassoulet, Hachis Parmentier, and fresh, crusty bread, and convivial service, it couldn’t be more French if it was in the Dordogne. Weird, then, to step back out into the heart of Abu Dhabi’s downtown area.Address: Mercure Centre Hotel, Hamdan StreetContact: +971-2-6333555

7. Pearls & Caviar: Take a little golf cart from the Shangri-La to the canal-side box that houses this excellent, extremely up-market seafood restaurant, then wander upstairs to the rooftop bar for a post-prandial cocktail or two. The music ramps up as the evening goes on, and you’ll end up dancing under the stars.Address: Shangri-La, Qaryat Al BeriContact: +971-2-5098777

9. Rhodes 44: This sunny restaurant is a lighthearted project by the multi-Michelin-starred British chef Gary Rhodes, who takes his trademark exquisite modern British and European classics and adds an Arabic touch as befits the setting, in the fabulous Corniche outpost of the St Regis (not to be confused with the St Regis Saadiyat Island).Address: St Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation TowersContact: +971-2-6944553

10. Le Deck: The Monte Carlo Beach Club’s fabulous haute cuisine—the sort of thing that involves foams and gels—is offered in a 12-course Friday brunch overlooking the pool, with unlimited bubbly or even, for a hefty premium, unlimited Dom Perignon. And if you’re splashing out on that, you may as well get a day pass and spend the rest of the day on the beach.Address: Monte Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat IslandContact: +971-2-6563500